


Side Hustle

by SpookHaus



Category: Last Podcast on The Left (Podcast) RPF
Genre: Alternative Universe-Sex Hotline, Dirty Talk, M/M, Masturbation, Phone Sex, kind of first time?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-28
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:46:48
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27749218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpookHaus/pseuds/SpookHaus
Summary: The job at the phone-sex hotline started off as sort of a side hustle.Just another way for Marcus to make rent in addition to his day job at the record store. The hours were flexible, pay was honestly great and he found he had come to enjoy the job much more than he thought he would.But one day he gets a caller that is all too familiar.
Relationships: Ben Kissel/Marcus Parks
Comments: 8
Kudos: 22





	Side Hustle

The job at the phone-sex hotline started off as sort of a side hustle. 

Just another way for Marcus to make rent in addition to his day job at the record store. The hours were flexible, pay was honestly great and he found he had come to enjoy the job much more than he thought he would.

He had always been told he had a great voice, had even wanted to go into radio when he was younger. And the callers couldn’t agree more. He liked playing up his Texan accent, deepening his voice and winding his tongue lovingly around certain syllables. It made people fall apart, helping their fantasies come true and offering them some kind of relief. 

No matter the job, Marcus took pride in the work he did. If he was going to commit to something, he wasn’t going to half ass it. Even so, he felt like he’d never be able to share this part of his life with his friends. Henry and Holden would never let him live it down, Jackie would demand to know where he worked so she could call in to tease him and Ben… 

Every time the thought of Ben finding out came up, it always caused a hard lump to form in his throat. Maybe it was because of how _traditional_ the man presented himself; he balked at the mention of fleshlights or hentai and would loudly complain when the guys would go too in depth about their latest sexual exploits. Out of everyone, Marcus felt Ben would be the least likely to understand and, although it set his teeth on edge, there was a part of him that didn’t want Ben to be disappointed in him. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I can tell you’re close. Don’t keep me hanging, baby, I want to hear you cum.”

It was a slow for a Thursday night, very few callers and Marcus was already almost halfway through the well-thumbed copy of _In Cold Blood_ he had restarted at the beginning of his shift. 

He was wrapping up his weekly call from Greg; the timid sounding older guy had quickly become a regular caller soon after he started. The man didn’t require much in the way of creativity on Marcus’ part; Greg didn’t have many kinks and mostly just wanted to have someone to talk to and tell him to cum. 

After listening to the man “wrap up” and gracefully bidding him a good night, Marcus settled back into reading his book. He’d probably take one more caller and then call it a night. His boss, Sandy, was okay with them adjusting their schedules on the fly in cases like this and the night had been particularly dead. 

Only 5 minutes later he was snapped back to reality by the pinging of a call request coming through from the phone screeners. Marcus clicked the alert to bring up the report with the caller’s details. 

The caller was male, looking to speak to a male operator, no specific requests and he’s a first time caller. 

Marcus had dealt with his fair share of first timers; they were usually shy but easy to win over with charm and soothing words. Adjusting his headset, he selected _Accept_ and the call started ringing through to his phone within a few seconds. Taking a moment to exhale and center himself in his chosen character, he picks up the call.

“Hey there stranger. I’m so glad you called tonight, I was starting to get a little lonely. The name’s Tex, what can I do to make you feel good tonight, sweetheart?” he purrs into the mic. 

The caller doesn’t respond but Marcus can hear a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. After a few seconds, when it’s clear from the slightly audible breathing that the caller is still there, he makes another attempt to get the mystery man to open up. 

“No fantasy is off limits, baby, tell me what you need. Unless, you’d rather sit back and listen to me tell you about all the filthy things I’d do if you were here with me. There’s so much running through my mind just imaging the sounds you’d make. Don’t keep me hanging, darlin’.” 

Ultimately it doesn’t matter too much to Marcus how long the caller takes to tell him what he wants. Even better if it is longer for a higher commission rate at the end of the day, but he has to admit his curiosity has been peaked. 

What he hears next has him immediately regret that sentiment. Wishing he could disconnect the call but paralyzed by an icy panic, acid rising in his throat. 

“Marcus?”

He would recognize that voice anywhere, has spent so much time around its owner that he can vividly picture the look on the other man’s face at this exact moment. See the questioning brown eyes and furrowed brow under unruly red hair. He quickly glances down at his cell, just to make sure he hasn’t made an error; that one of his best friends is really calling into sex hotline he works at.

“Ben.”

It doesn’t come out as a question, there’s no way he can feign ignorance or pretend. They know each other so well but right now; Marcus truly isn’t sure how Ben is going to react next. 

“Marcus, did you just call yourself ‘Tex’?”

Marcus chokes on air and stifles a nervous giggle. Of course Kissel would focus on the most minor detail of the illicit sales pitch he had just given him. 

“ _Uh_ , yeah man, it’s like my stage name. Had to pay homage to my roots, yah know.”

Ben gives a small chuckle and it’s so normal that it’s almost enough for Marcus to forget the context of the call but then the uncomfortable silence returns. After a moment, he hears Ben clear his throat and tenses for whatever the other man is going to throw at him, countless possible questions and accusations running through his head. 

“So… how long have you worked at this _uh_ …sex call center?”

Marcus smirks ruefully. “You can just call it a hotline. And _um_ , about six months.”

“Six months! I can’t believe you didn’t tell me about this! I mean, honestly man, it’s pretty cool. I bet you’ve got a ton of stories about all the freaky callers you must get.”

The tightness in his chest begins to lessen as Marcus allows a smile to spread across his face.

“Honestly, I wasn’t sure how you would react if I told you. I know I’d never hear the end of it if, like, Henry knew. It was easier to just keep secret.”

There’s another pause on the line before Ben speaks again, his voice dropping back to a serious tone. 

“Marcus, I’d never judge you for how you choose to make money or live your life. All I care about is that you’re safe and happy. Plus, I’m the one calling the sex line! I’m no better than the other perverts you have to talk to.”

“Hey, I’ll have you know some of those perverts are very lovely! I’ll keep giving ‘em what they want if they keep coming back for more.” 

They laugh together and the feeling of normalcy has Marcus’ heart soaring and tears pricking the corners of his eyes. When the chuckles subside, he murmurs with a smile into the headset.

“Thanks, Ben.”

Abruptly something clicks in his mind and before he knows it, the thought is falling from his mouth.

“You told them you wanted to speak to a male operator?” 

Silence again and Marcus immediately regrets not taking a second to think before speaking. He knows more than anyone what it’s like growing up in a repressed place and wanting to hide every vulnerable part of your self to protect from the abuse of your peers and community. Whatever kind of exploration this is for Ben, he’s unknowingly ruined it.

Marcus is about to start apologizing profusely but Ben speaks first.

“I guess we’ve both been keeping secrets.”

“Ben, I’m so sorry I-”

“It’s okay, really. I just…I’ve been doing some thinking recently about, _ugh_ you know, my ‘sexuality’. Watching porn is one thing but I thought if I could _um_ talk it through with someone maybe that would help me…obviously I didn’t think I was going to get you!”

Marcus again feels a spike of guilt but what Ben had said is true, there was no way either of them could have expected this to happen. In a cosmic way it’s kind of funny. 

A small part of his mind wonders if this is not just some mere coincidence. Before he knows it, that tiny thought is growing and words are again coming unbidden to his lips.

“Well, if you want, while you’re here, maybe I can help you…figure some things out?”

Marcus realizes he’s dropped back into the sultry voice he uses with his clients; the same one he had used at the beginning of the call before he knew it was his best friend and (he’s not afraid to admit to himself anymore) crush.

There’s a gasp and Ben breathes out his name with a croak.

“Marcus...”

He can hear the tightness in Kissel’s throat and Marcus finds himself swallowing around the lump growing in his. Surely this is finally going a step too far but any way the pieces fall, there’s little chance of the two men speaking of this night to anyone else. So what does it matter if…

“Well, you are the professional. If anyone was going to be ‘my first’, maybe it’s best that it’s you.”

With so many years of friendship between them, Marcus can tell how sincere Ben is being despite his flippant tone and he appreciates the trust the other man is putting in him. 

“Hey, it’s not like we’re fucking. I’m just here to talk you through whatever you want to explore. No pressure to go beyond your own boundaries on my account. I’ll do anything you want me to.” 

That last part is genuine in the most literal sense, but still it causes a blush to creep across his face. 

“Cool, cool…thanks, Marcus.” 

He takes a moment to collect himself, adjusting the tightening crotch of his jeans and calming the buzzing in his mind. He can approach this just like any regular interaction with a client, with the added advantage of having his history with Ben.

“So, are you into anything in particular? Any kinks?”

He isn’t surprised when Ben sputters out a string of protests; Marcus realizes he’s probably going to have to take more control than he had previously thought.

“Dude, I don’t even know what it’s like to fuck a man! How am I supposed to know what freaky shit I want to do to one?!”

Marcus rolls his eyes; surely Ben’s imagination isn’t that bad, he must just be massively repressed. He swallows and takes a leap of faith.

“Well, have you ever thought about me?”

The dead silence is enough of a give away but Marcus wants to hear Ben say it. The blood thrumming from his head to dick helping to urge him forward.

“Have you thought about touching me, Ben?” making sure to emphasize the other man’s name, demanding his complete attention.

He can hear Ben breathing in and out shallowly and wonders again if he needs to slow things down. But deep down, Marcus wants to see how far he can push the other man.

“Yes.” It’s a faint whisper on an exhale but now that he has that confirmation he can really move forward. 

“Mm I can’t hear you, Benjamin. Do you think about touching your best friend? How often? Do you imagine what it would be like to hold me? Kiss me?

Ben hisses out forcefully, causing static to tingle against Marcus’ ears.

“ Yeah, Marcus, I’ve thought about…holding you tighter, longer whenever we greet each other. Thought about kissing you until you shut up when you go off on a rant about some weird shit. I think about what you would feel like sitting in my lap…”

Marcus can hear Ben spiraling a little; he has to admit that hearing the rushed confessions is affecting him too and he takes a moment to slip off the button of his jeans and zip the fly down. It’s not entirely frowned upon for employees to make themselves “comfortable” as long as they’re discrete. Even though he’s in a private office, Marcus is glad that he’s probably the only one left in the office due to the late hour.

Slipping a hand down to grind against his growing erection, Marcus controls his breathing by some miracle and continues.

“Do you think about fucking me, Ben?”

It’s pretty much a rhetorical question at this point, but again Marcus is hungry to hear him say it.

“ _Fuck_ …yes, Marcus. I do.”

The rhythmic breathing filling his headset is almost all encompassing but it’s not enough to cover the distant, wet sound of skin on skin movement.

“You’re touching yourself right now, aren’t you? Did you already have your dick out when you decided to call here tonight, desperate for someone to help get you off? _Ha_ , you sure are eager.”

He knows he’s not really one to talk right now, having gotten his own dick out to lazily stroke. Pulling the headset aside for a moment, he spits down onto his hand, hissing at the change in friction. 

“Well _Jesus_ , Marcus, what am I supposed to do! Isn’t that the point of a sex hotline?”

“You really don’t get what’s happening right now do you, bumble butt! Just shut up and let me seduce you.” Rolling his eyes but Marcus can’t help but smile, slowing his strokes and gripping the base of his throbbing cock.

“Unless you’d rather tell me what you want to do to me? I seem to remember you saying something about wanting me in your lap?”

Ben lets out an honest-to-god moan and Marcus makes a mental note that the other man seems to enjoy being told what to do.

“Y-yeah, I think about what it would feel like for you to be sat in my lap. You’re so small Marcus…I could just wrap my arms around you and hold you tight.”

Marcus has never considered himself “small” before, especially with his previous partners. But considering Ben’s sheer size, a shudder runs up his spine thinking about how it would feel to have his thin frame surrounded and held.

“You just want to cuddle me, Kissel? I always knew you were a big softie.” 

Marcus rubs over the head of his dick, gathering the growing wetness at the tip.

“ ‘Course not! I mean, yeah I want to do that but I also want to-yah know, make out like teenagers until we can’t think straight. _Fuck_ , I’d pin you down and make my way down your body until I got to…” 

Ben pauses but Marcus isn’t going to let him stop, not after he’s gotten this far.

“You ever sucked a dick before, Ben? Want me to show you just how I like it?”

He half expects Ben to laugh, even to him it sounds like a line straight out of a cheesy porn. But the whine on the other end of the line tells him he’s on the right path. 

“Y-yes, sir.”

Marcus’s eyebrows raise at the casual drop of the title, again Ben has proved to be full of surprises tonight, but he chooses not to address it. 

“We can go slow, darlin’. Don’t want you to choke, not yet at least. Tease you with my cock until you’re desperate for it. Think you can take all of me with your mouth or are you going to have to use those big hands of yours to get me off too?”

Never has Marcus been happier to have a hands-free headset as he reaches into his jeans to cup his balls while the other hand furiously strokes his dick. He imagines Ben above him, the ginger working those large hands all over his body before coming to rest them on his ass. He’d be able to thrust up into warmth of Ben’s mouth with wild abandon.

Marcus would feel more embarrassed about how audibly he’s losing control if this was another client on the line. But with Ben, there’s an actual possibility that the acts he’s going on about could become a reality. Luckily it seems like Ben is just as worked up as him and they pause for a moment, taking in the sounds of pleasure each other are making. Marcus’ reverie is broken when Ben speaks again, voice tighter than he’s ever heard before.

“Anything you want, Marcus. I just want to taste you…touch you, anything to make you feel good.” He pants out, and Marcus feels his dick twitch violently in his hand, thighs jumping a little. 

“I’m sure you will, baby boy. You’ll be so good for me, take everything I give you.” 

He feels himself rushing towards climax but wants to make sure Ben is there with him. This was supposed to be about his exploration after all. Judging by the noises on the other end of the line, Ben is already on the edge too. 

“Are you going to cum, Ben?”

“Y-eah, Marcus, sir, I’m so close.” The desperation in the other man’s voice makes Marcus gasp, only heightening the sound of pounding blood in his ears.

“Good, I want you to cum with me. Now, Ben!”

It starts off as a breathy sigh that turns into a deep groan and Marcus can only imagine how beautiful Ben’s body must look in its current state. Tensing and releasing as he spills over himself just as Marcus is, doubled over in a mixture of pleasure and painful relief. 

He feels like a partly drowned man who’s just resurfaced for air, gulping at salvation. Lucky for him, his release mostly got on the desk and not his keyboard but he’ll go about cleaning up in a second, he want’s to make sure Ben is okay. 

“How you doing, big guy?”

There’s a pause before Ben groans. “Fuck man, that’s the hardest I’ve shot in a while. Like since I first learned how to jerk it! I think you definitely helped me figure some things out, yah know what I mean?” 

“Yeah Kissel, I was there too.” Marcus can’t stop the goofy smile spreading across his face, post orgasm bliss mixing with genuine warmth growing in his heart. “Next time you want to “shoot hard” just give me a call directly. That way you won’t rack up an insane credit card bill because _uh_ we’ve been on the phone for a while and they’re charging you per minute.” 

He has to pull the headset off to protect his eardrums from Ben’s explosive tirade and whining about Marcus not letting him know earlier. But even the other man’s childish rant isn’t enough to dampen his mood.

“Hey man, you’re the one who called here tonight!” Marcus retorts jovially when the volume of the outburst has at least lessened so that he can return to the headset. “This is a _professional_ call service, we guarantee an experience that more than makes the cost worth it.” Dropping his voice low again in the way that he now knows makes the ginger go crazy.

“And aren’t you _more than_ satisfied, Ben?” 

Ben whimpers out a noise of agreement, “Yes, sir, completely.”

“Good boy. But yeah, like I said, anytime you want to talk. Doesn’t have to be about sex-“

“Can I see you in person, Marcus? Like for a date or something, if that’s not too weird? I mean, we pretty much just had phone sex but you’re still my best friend and all so if it is too weird now you can let me know and-”

The other man’s sudden interruption startles him but Marcus is back to grinning so wide it hurts. He had hoped this could mean the start of some kind of relationship, not that it is quite yet but it’s certainly a step in the right direction. He’s more than willing to go at whatever speed is best for Ben.

“Yeah, Ben, I’d love that.” Cutting off the other man’s anxious rambling with a comfortable ease afforded to them by years of friendship. 

They make a plan to meet up in the next couple of days for pizza and a movie at Ben’s apartment and Marcus is all but buzzing out of his chair when they finally end the call. Cleaning up the desk hurriedly and signing out of his profile, he tosses on his jacket and makes his way out of the building. 

Passing by Sandy’s office, he sees the light is still on and pops in to let her know he’s heading out. She tells him goodnight and makes a comment about how he looks much more relaxed than usual, giving him what he thinks could be a conspiratorial smile. He couldn’t have been that loud, right? Her office is all the way on the other side of the space and his door was closed…right?

Brushing it off, he walks out into the cold night and heads home with a noticeable pep in his step. Humming along to _The Stooges_ blasting in his headphones, Marcus marvels again how this side job really is much more enjoyable than he thought it would be.

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic for this fandom so I hope you enjoyed!
> 
> Definitely have some other ideas brewing for the future.


End file.
